Ulises Toirac: "Cuba's Maze Offers No Way Out"

During a recent appearance on the program Familia Cubana TV, hosted by Alejandro Cuervo and recorded in Havana, comedian Ulises Toirac delivered a harsh analysis on the future prospects of Cuba.

"Cuba is in a maze without a solution, at least not one that will come in my lifetime. I'm already 62 years old... and I don't see a way out," he declared.

Toirac's comments quickly gained traction on social media, with a Facebook clip amassing over 286,000 views in just a few hours, highlighting the resonance of his words among Cubans both on the island and abroad.

The creator of Chivichana explained that the symbolic weight of the Cuban revolution—marked by events like the 1959 victory, the Bay of Pigs, and the Missile Crisis—created a powerful paradigm. "We've interpreted it in a way that has become self-enclosed and has morphed into something else," he noted.

The Post-Fidel Era's Challenges

One of Toirac's most pointed criticisms was directed at the current regime's inability to uphold the model that Fidel Castro maintained through his personal charisma. "It's as if they're trying to continue as if Fidel Castro still existed," he stated, noting that the historic leader could secure international resources through his influence. "He'd go to the Emirates and say, 'I need 76,000 million,' and the sultan would say, 'Go ahead, take it.'

Toirac emphasized that this ability is absent among today's Cuban leaders.

The Energy Crisis and Social Unrest

The comedian also delivered a blunt assessment of Fidel's so-called "energy revolution," which has led to power outages lasting over 24 hours at a time in Cuba. "The energy revolution solved one problem that day but doomed the development of the national electro-energy system for all future times," he asserted.

For those hoping for a political shift, he posed a challenging question: "People say, 'freedom, freedom, democracy.' Yes, yes, that's all very nice, but what will you do with it? What is your stance regarding Cuba's future?"

He went even further: "Three Cubans make four political parties, and all four hate each other. I don't see a solution."

Considering Life Beyond Cuba

Toirac concluded that Cuban society is neither "prepared" nor "mature" enough to take on the responsibility of a new political system. For the first time, he openly admitted he might leave Cuba if the right conditions arose. "Right now, I can't say for sure, but if I find favorable conditions to develop work, to live, even outside my artistic field, maybe, probably yes," he said.

He described the island's situation as one of "agony": just two hours of electricity daily, lack of medicine, food shortages, and a dearth of medical professionals. "You're not living; you're not even surviving because you can't manage it. You're constantly overwhelmed, you're in agony," he emphasized.

Facing Censorship and Economic Realities

The interview also shed light on the systematic censorship he faces. Toirac revealed that he is barred from performing in private bars or cultural institutions, as authorities pressure organizers to exclude him with a message summarized as: "Either you remove him, or you remove him."

Given this reality, he survives by writing and producing audiovisual content for social media.

Last March, he attributed Cuba's electrical collapse to three decades of poor investment policies, rejecting the notion that the embargo is the primary cause. In April, he responded to Díaz-Canel by pointing out that over 1.25 million Cubans emigrated between 2021 and 2024 because "people don't want to live in Cuba."